Why would an aftermarket car stereo not work in the car?

[Spoooon]

So, I'm trying to install a stereo into my girlfriend's Dodge Shadow and the #$#%s thing won't work.

I double checked that I have the correct wiring harness and that all of the wires are connected correctly.

The factory stereo works with no problems.

I was trying to put in an old Alpine but I was not sure that it still worked, and because I could not get it to work in her car, I thought I would try a new one. And I am still having problems.

Help!!

This is an old thread with new responses. I am moving it from OT to The Garage.
admin allisolm

 

[Colt45]

you screwed up or the deck is broken or both

 

[K1052]

Check the fuses?

 

[salt9876]

double check to make sure tha cd players fuse is not burned out. Ive had it happen so many times to may cd players.

 

[Spoooon]

The fuses are good. I could have screwed up, but if it's not the wiring, then I don't know where. I've checked the harness and the connections three or four times now. It's all good.

 

[Billzie7718]

Guuuuuuround Wire Foo.

Alpine requires a solid ground connection. The one from my car's factory stereo was not strong enough. I had to ground it to the car chassis.

 

[Spoooon]

Originally posted by: Billzie7718
Guuuuuuround Wire Foo.

Alpine requires a solid ground connection. The one from my car's factory stereo was not strong enough. I had to ground it to the car chassis.

Well, I've got a Pioneer now. I wasn't sure about grounding it to the chassis or not. I couldn't find a place on the chassis to ground it to but I'll look harder.

 

[MixMasterTang]

What exactly is the issue, no power? Like someone said before check the ground, and also a lot of aftermarket stereo's have more power requirements than stock ones, so you'll need to make sure it's wired up properly.

 

[flot]

Originally posted by: Billzie7718
Guuuuuuround Wire Foo.

Alpine requires a solid ground connection. The one from my car's factory stereo was not strong enough. I had to ground it to the car chassis.

LOL this is a really good point, some aftermarket stereos I've used have required that the *chassis* of the aftermarket unit be grounded to the frame. The effect was that it wouldn't work at all sitting in my lap when I hooked everything up, but as soon as I just touched it to metal inside the car it would light right up.

Otherwise this makes very little sense unless your vehicle has hidden amplifiers somewhere in the car.

 

[Spoooon]

Well, I grounded the ground wire to the chassis and nothing doing.

It's just not powering up.

I'll look into grounding the chassis of the stereo and see what happens.

 

[Billzie7718]

Originally posted by: Spoooon
Well, I grounded the ground wire to the chassis and nothing doing.

It's just not powering up.

I'll look into grounding the chassis of the stereo and see what happens.

I really think its the ground. I have seen this many times. I was a part time Installer at Best Buy. I usually ground it directly behind the stereo with something like this, but make sure to scratch the paint on the chassis first.

 

[radioouman]

Ground that black wire in your wiring harness to the metal strap that was attached to the back of the radio in your girlfriend's car.

 

[Billzie7718]

Originally posted by: radioouman
Ground that black wire in your wiring harness to the metal strap that was attached to the back of the radio in your girlfriend's car.

I would listen to him if I were you, it says Radio in his name.

 

[Spoooon]

Okay, I'm going to try the last suggestion and double check the chassis ground and see what happens.

And I'm going to do it for the reason Billzie suggests.

 

[radioouman]

Any update?

I always connect the strap to the black wire using a short bolt/nut.

 

[EyeMWing]

A Dodge Shadow? That's the same stock radio as my minivan, and it works just fine if you wire it in right.

 

[sonoma1993]

yeah id put a cd player in my dad dodge interpid, it wouldnt turn on, but there was this metal strap in the stero bay,when id had the ground wire hooked up to that. it work just fine. so yeah like someone mention earlier, use the metal strap.

 

[Spoooon]

Well, I connected the ground on the wiring harness to the metal strap and it still won't power on.

Unless anyone has any more suggestions, I'm probably just going to take it in somewhere to get it installed.

Argh.

 

[Billzie7718]

Originally posted by: Spoooon
Well, I connected the ground on the wiring harness to the metal strap and it still won't power on.

Unless anyone has any more suggestions, I'm probably just going to take it in somewhere to get it installed.

Argh.

Do you have the key turned on?

 

[Shawn]

make sure you don't have the acc and constant mixed up. If you don't already have one get a voltmeter and check to see if it's getting 12-14v, if not something is wrong. most likely the ground.

 

[Spoooon]

Originally posted by: Shawn
make sure you don't have the acc and constant mixed up. If you don't already have one get a voltmeter and check to see if it's getting 12-14v, if not something is wrong. most likely the ground.

I know that that isn't the problem. However, I don't have a voltmeter so I can't check your other suggestion. I used to have a multimeter somewhere, but I think I lost it when I moved and I'd rather not have to buy another one.

I'm going to try a new spot for the ground or scrape away some more paint from the spot I picked.

 

[shilala]

If you've got the deck grounded properly and have tested and pick up a hot, it will power up.
If all else fails, find someone who can run a multitester.

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: Spoooon

Originally posted by: Shawn
make sure you don't have the acc and constant mixed up. If you don't already have one get a voltmeter and check to see if it's getting 12-14v, if not something is wrong. most likely the ground.

I know that that isn't the problem. However, I don't have a voltmeter so I can't check your other suggestion. I used to have a multimeter somewhere, but I think I lost it when I moved and I'd rather not have to buy another one.

I'm going to try a new spot for the ground or scrape away some more paint from the spot I picked.

to check the stereo itself, run your constant power and switched power to the hot side of the battery and ground under the hood somewhere...only do this if you have inline fuses on the switched and constant power wires, though...i've never had that toast a stereo, but i'd hate for you to follow my advice and fry it

as long as the fuse is good it will work that way...if not, your head unit is fubared

 

[Shawn]

oh did you check the fuse on the head unit itself and not just the one under the dash? if something was wired wrong it's likely it got blown.

 

[flot]

Ok, this isn't rocket science.

Check fuses, may be one on the back of the radio and definitely one at the car's main fuse block. Does the factory radio still work? If it does, you know you have power.

Also, I will point out again - make sure that the METAL CHASSIS of the radio is touching a GROUNDED METAL part of the vehicle. After reading your responses I'm not sure if you've done that. I have had more than one aftermarket radio that required this to power up.

Last but not least, you can twist the yellow and red wires togehter and then hook the radio directly up to the battery (yellow+red to positive, black to negative) and see what happens. Again, you might need to ground the chassis of the radio as well.

PS: we are all assuming that the problem here is that the radio just won't turn on.. this is correct, right?